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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · lean · snap · spell · pit · bulb · band · charge

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. row — a line
  3. lean — thin
  4. row — to paddle
  5. pit — in a race
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bulb — for light
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pit — a hole
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. spell — letters
  17. band — a music group
  18. charge — electricity
  19. snap — to click
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — a short time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com